a. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to amusement devices. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a dart game system including an electronic dartboard, a programmable electronic control system, and a display monitor for displaying score totals and related data.
b. Description of Related Prior Art
The game of darts has been played for many decades. It originated as an English pub game and has since become very popular in several countries. In the United States, for example, dart leagues and tournaments are now very common across the country.
In its simplest form, the game involves throwing a small projectile, or dart, toward a target to score points. The standard target, or dartboard, is circular in shape, measures 18 inches in diameter and is divided into twenty (20) equal wedge-shaped segments, all intersecting at the center of the circular board, and all representing a scoring area, ie., one (1) to twenty (20) points, but not in sequential order.
Additional scoring segments on a standard dartboard include a concentric circular area having a diameter of one-half of an inch commonly referred to as the "double bulls-eye"; a concentric annular area having a diameter of one and one-half inches and a thickness of one-half of an inch surrounding the "double bulls-eye" and commonly referred to as the "single bulls-eye"; a concentric annular area having a diameter of nine and one-half inches and a thickness of one-half of an inch commonly referred to as a "triple-ring", and; a concentric annular area having a diameter of fifteen and one-half inches and a thickness of one-half of an inch commonly referred to as a "double-ring".
Until recently, most darts were constructed of a pointed metal shaft (brass being most common) at one end, and a feathered flight, or tail (turkey feathers being most common) at the other. Dartboards were usually constructed of cork or bristol board.
While these "conventional" darts and boards are still widely used today, the clear trend in the game of darts is toward what is commonly referred to as "soft-tip" or "safe" darts which utilizes darts having flexible plastic tips and molded plastic dartboards usually having a plurality of holes, corresponding in diameter to that of the flexible plastic dart tip, spread across the twenty (20) wedge-shaped scoring segments of a standard target. Use of "soft-tip" darts and molded plastic boards is found primarily in modern electronic dart games such as those shown in Zammuto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,660, Tillery et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,618 and Beall et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,121, although non-electronic dart games of this type are also readily available. Electronic dart games such as those shown in the abovereferenced patents also have the distinct advantage of electronically recording and displaying the game score totals thereby merely requiring a dart game player to initialize the game and throw darts. Keeping score totals manually on a pad or chalkboard is no longer necessary. As a result, electronic dart games such as those shown in the above-referenced patents are now routinely found in taverns, arcades and restaurants across the nation.
The weight, dimensions and expense of such an electronic dart game, however, limits the practical usage of such a device to commercial locations. On average, the devices stand seven (7) feet tall, are approximately two (2) feet wide and weigh in excess of 400 pounds. Moreover, the average cost of such a device can be over of $3,000.00. Accordingly, one would not expect to normally find an electronic dart game of the variety discussed in a private den or recreation room in one's home.